Who is Jesus?
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Just a great moral teacher or was Jesus something more?
Some people claim he's a great teacher. Others think he's a prophet. Some dismiss him as a liar or even a madman. Millions hail him as Savior and Lord. Whatever people think of him, nobody can deny that he stands at the very crux of human history.
The biblical record of his life shows that Jesus was born to a virgin, lived a sinless life, taught throughout Palestine for about three years, was crucified and then rose back to life three days after his death. The Bible claims that more than 500 people saw him alive after this miraculous event. How could a mere man have lived such a life? The miracles Jesus performed, his death on the cross, his resurrection, his ascent to heaven--all point to the fact that he was no ordinary leader.
Hundreds of years before Jesus' birth, prophets predicted his coming. The Old Testament, written by many people over a period of 1,500 years, contains more than 300 such prophecies. All of these details came true, including his miraculous birth, his sinless life, his many miracles, his death and his resurrection.
By his own account, Jesus claimed he had the power to forgive sins, to cast out demons, and to determine people's eternal destiny. He even declared he himself was God!
Declaring that he was God so angered the religious and political leaders of his day that they had him crucified. They buried him in a borrowed grave, and three days later, he rose from the dead.
The resurrection of Jesus is what makes Christianity uniqueand radically different from Hinduism, Buddhism, Confucianism, Shintoism, Judaism, and Islam. In fact, the validity of Christianity hinges on the proof of the resurrection of Jesus. If the resurrection never took place, then the Christian faith is based on a lie and people have no true hope for life after they die. But if it is true, then we can do nothing else but accept Jesus as Savior and Lord and receive his gift of love and forgiveness.
Throughout the centuries, most great scholars who have considered the proofs of the resurrection have believed, and still believe that Jesus is alive.
What were people saying before he was born?
The Old Testament (the part of the Bible written before Jesus' birth) was completed in 450 B.C., hundreds of years before Jesus was born. A large number of prophecies were made in astonishing detail by many people throughout these books. In fact, fulfilled prophecy is one of the distinguishing marks of the Bible, authenticating it's claim to be the inspired Word of God.
For instance, the Old Testament indicated Jesus would be betrayed by someone he trusted, "Even my close friend whom I trusted, he who has shared my bread, has lifted up his heel against me" (Psalm 41:9). The New Testament, which records Jesus' life and resurrection, reveals that one of the 12 people Jesus chose to be part of his inner circle betrayed him, "Then Judas Iscariot, one of the Twelve, went to the chief priests to betray Jesus to them" (Mark 14:10).
More than 300 Messianic prophecies like this were made in the Old Testament and then fulfilled through Jesus' life, death and resurrection. The chances of one person fulfilling a mere 8 of these prophecies are 1 in 100,000,000,000,000,000. For one person to fulfill 48 of these prophecies, the number becomes staggering--1 chance in 10 to the 157th power (1 with 157 zeros after it). Add to that the 250 other prophecies and it becomes impossible for any other person except Jesus to ever fit that particular sequence of time and events. -
What did Jesus Christ have to say about himself?
Legend, Lunatic, Liar,or Lord and GOD?
In his famous book Mere Christianity, C.S. Lewis makes this statement, "A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic--on the level with a man who says he is a poached egg--or he would be the devil of hell. You must take your choice. Either this was, and is, the Son of God, or else a madman or something worse. You can shut him up for a fool or you can fall at his feet and call him Lord and God. But let us not come with any patronizing nonsense about his being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us.(emphasis: web author)"
Jesus could only have been one of four things: a legend, a liar, a lunatic--or Lord and God. There is so much historical and archeological evidence to support his existence that every reputable historian agrees he was not just a legend. If he were a liar, why would he die for his claim, when he could easily have avoided such a cruel death with a few choice words? And, if he were a lunatic, how did he engage in intelligent debates with his opponents or handle the stress of his betrayal and crucifixion while continuing to show a deep love for his antagonists? He said he was Lord and God. The evidence supports that claim.
Here are some of the key claims Jesus made about himself.
He claimed to live a sinless life
Jesus could look at a crowd of people angry at his claims to share God's nature and ask, "Which of you can point to anything wrong in my life?" Even more amazing is that none of them could give a reply! No human being has ever lived a sinless life, except for Jesus.
John 8:28-29 "So Jesus said, 'When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you will know who I am and that I do nothing on my own but speak just what the Father has taught me. The one who sent me is with me; he has not left me alone, for I always do what pleases him.'"
John 8:46-47 "Can any of you prove me guilty of sin? If I am telling the truth, why don't you believe me? He who belongs to God hears what God says. The reason you do not hear is that you do not belong to God."
He claimed to be the ONLY way to God
Not one of several ways, but the one and only way. Not to teach the way, but to be the way to God. Nobody has ever made claims like that before and backed them, but Jesus did through his love, balanced life, and miracles.
John 14:6 "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father but by me."
Matthew 11:27 "All things have been committed to me by my Father. No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him."
Note: No other world religious leader, such as Buddha, Confucius, or Mohammed ever made this claim.
He claimed to have shared the glory of God in Heaven
Jesus claimed to have pre-existed the people he spoke with. The apostle John--who shared bread with Jesus--wrote that Jesus was with God in the very beginning, and that "all things came into being through him, and without him not one thing came into being." (John 1:1-5)
John 17:5 "And now, Father, glorify me in your presence with the glory I had with you before the world began."
This is a claim distorted by groups like the Mormons or Jehovah's Witnesses.
He claimed to be able to forgive sins
One of the reasons that the Jewish leaders were so angry with Jesus was his continual practice of forgiving people's sins. The religious leaders understood clearly that since sins were rebellion against God Himself, only God could forgive sins.
Luke 5:20-21 "When Jesus saw their faith, he said, 'Friend, your sins are forgiven.' The Pharisees and the teachers of the law began thinking to themselves, 'Who is this fellow who speaks blasphemy? Who can forgive sins but God alone?'"(emphasis: web author)
Luke 7:48-49 "Then Jesus said to her, 'Your sins are forgiven.' The other guests began to say among themselves, 'Who is this who even forgives sins?'" -
He claimed to be a Heavenly king
Luke 22:69 "But from now on, the Son of Man will be seated at the right hand of the mighty God."
Luke 23:1-3 "Then the whole assembly rose and led him off to Pilate. And they began to accuse him, saying, 'We have found this man subverting our nation. He opposes payment of taxes to Caesar and claims to be Christ, a king.' So Pilate asked Jesus, 'Are you the king of the Jews?' 'Yes, it is as you say,' Jesus replied."
John 18:36-37 "Jesus said, 'My kingdom is not of this world. If it were, my servants would fight to prevent my arrest by the Jews. But now my kingdom is from another place.' 'You are a king, then!' said Pilate. Jesus answered, 'You are right in saying I am a king. In fact, for this reason I was born, and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone on the side of truth listens to me.'"
He claimed to be able to give everlasting life
He didn't just tell people how they could find everlasting life, or deepen their own life experience. He actually claimed to give life himself.
John 6:40 "For my Father's will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day."
John 6:47 "I tell you the truth, he who believes has everlasting life."
John 10:28-30 "I give [my followers] eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father's hand. I and the Father are one."
John 11:25 "Jesus said to her, 'I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die...'"
He claimed that he would die and come back to life
John 10:17 "Just as the Father knows me and I know the Father--and I lay down my life for the sheep. The reason my Father loves me is that I lay down my life--only to take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again. This command I received from my Father."
John 12:32-33 "'But I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to myself.' He said this to show the kind of death he was going to die."
John 16:16 "In a little while you will see me no more, and then after a little while you will see me."
Luke 18:31-33 "Jesus took the Twelve aside and told them, 'We are going up into Jerusalem, and everything that is written by the prophets about the Son of Man will be fulfilled. He will be handed over to the Gentiles. They will mock him, insult him, spit on him, flog him and kill him. On the third day he will rise again.'"
He claimed that he would return again to judge the world
Matthew 24:27-30 "So as the lightening comes from the east and flashes to the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man... At that time the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and all the nations of the earth will mourn. They will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky, with power and great glory."
Matthew 25:31-32 "When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his throne in heavenly glory. All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep and the goats."
Mark 14:61-62 "Again the high priest asked him, 'Are you the Christ, the Son of the Blessed One?' 'I am,' said Jesus. 'And you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven.'"
Jesus clearly claimed to be both God and Messiah. -
What kind of miracles did Jesus perform?
Since Jesus claimed to be equal to God, what did he do to prove it?
Many people have claimed to be God, but only one man in history demonstrated through his actions that he had a supernatural power source. The power Jesus displayed shook the nation of Israel to its core.
He healed the lame and the blind, controlled the movement of fish, and calmed storms. Not only did Jesus heal hundreds of people from sickness and disease, but on several occasions he raised people from physical death!
Changes water to wine
In his first recorded miracle, which took place at Cana in the Galilee area, Jesus changes water at a wedding into wine after the host's wine ran out unexpectedly.
John 2:6-11
Cures the centurion's servant
In another miracle, Jesus heals the servant of a centurion at Capernaum without any contact with the ill man.
Matthew 8:5-13
Luke 7:1-10
Heals the paralytic at the pool
At the pool of Bethesda in Jerusalem, Jesus heals a man who had been unable to walk for 38 years.
John 5:5-9
Reverses the drought of fish
After a fruitless night of fishing on the Sea of Galilee, Peter receives a command from Jesus to lower his nets again. This time so many fish are caught that Peter's nets begin to break.
Luke 5:4-9
Heals the demonized in the Synagogue at Capernaum
Who is this man with the power to cast out demons?
Mark 1:23-28
Luke 4:33-37
Heals Peter's mother-in-law and many sick
Matthew 8:14-16
Mark 1:29-34
Luke 4:38-41
Heals the leper
Matthew 8:2-4
Mark 1:40-42
Luke 5:12-13
Heals the paralytic
Matthew 9:2-8
Mark 2:2-12
Luke 5:18-26
Raises the widow's son back to life
Luke 7:12-16
Heals the blind, mute demoniac[/b[
Matthew 12:22
Luke 11:14
[b]Calms the storm
Jesus calms a storm on the Sea of Galilee with a wave of his hand--a storm of such an intensity that it terrifies his crew of experienced sailors.
Matthew 8:24-27
Mark 4:37-41
Luke 8:23-25
Heals the demonized man at Gerasa
Matthew 8:28-34
Mark 5:1-20
Luke 8:26-39
Heals the woman who touched him
A simple touch of Jesus' garment was enough to heal this woman.
Matthew 9:20-22
Mark 5:25-34
Luke 8:43-48
Raises Jairus' dead daughter back to life
Jesus demonstrates that he has the power to raise the dead back to life.
Matthew 9:18-19,23-26
Mark 5:22-24,35-43
Luke 8:41-42,49-56
Feeds crowd of five thousand
In one of the most spectacular miracles, Jesus feeds a massive crowd of 5,000 people with just five loaves of bread and two small fish. And there is enough food left over at the end to fill 12 baskets, one for each of the 12 disciples, nterestinlgly enough!
Matthew 14:15-21
Mark 6:35-44
Luke 9:12-17
John 6:5-14
Walks on the lake and stills the storm
Jesus is seen walking on the surface of the Sea of Galilee! One of his disciples, Peter, caught in a moment of pure faith, begins walking on the water towards Jesus. Moments later he starts to doubt, plunges down into the water, but is pulled to safety by Jesus when he cries out for help.
Matthew 14:22-33
Mark 6:45-52
John 6:16-21
Heals the Canaanite woman's daughter
Matthew 15:22-28
Mark 7:25-30
Heals deaf and mute man
Mark 7:32-37
Feeds four thousand
In another miraculous example of God's power, Jesus takes compassion on a large, famished crowd of followers who hadn't eaten in roughly three days. He feeds them with seven loaves of bread and a few small fish. Seven large baskets of food are left over after everyone is full.
Matthew 15:32-38
Mark 8:1-9
Heals the man born blind
Mark 8:22-26
Heals the blind, mute, and demonized son in Peraea
Matthew 17:14-20
Mark 9:14-29
Luke 9:37-42
Heals ten lepers
Ten lepers are healed. Yet only one has enough humility to return to Jesus and thank him for the miraculous healing of his illness.
Luke 17:11-19
Raises Lazarus from the dead
In a spectacular miracle which creates a stir throughout the country, Jesus brings back to life a man who had not only died, but had been laying in a tomb for several days. Many of the religious leaders now begin to follow Jesus after this clear demonstration of the power of the living God.
John 11:1-46
Heals woman of her illness
Luke 13:10-17
Curses the fig tree and it withers
Jesus performs this miracle to demonstrate the coming judgement upon the nation of Israel, which because of its refusal (as a majority) to accept his message, will soon wither into near oblivion under the brutal military might of the Roman empire. This takes place on the Monday following his triumphant entry into Jerusalem, just days before he will face his death and resurrection.
Matthew 21:18-20
Mark 11:12-14,20-21
Jesus is himself resurrected from the dead
In the greatest miracle of all, Jesus is raised from the dead, just as he had foretold on numerous occasions.
Matthew 28:2-20
Mark 16:1-20
Luke 24:1-48
John 20:1-31
See additional material about the resurrection in the post below
The final miraculous catch of fish
After his resurrection, Jesus performs another miracle. His disciples immediately identify who is responsible for this sudden abundance of fish stocks on the shore of the Sea of Galilee. It is the resurrected Jesus of Nazareth.
John 21:1-14,24 -
THE RESURRECTION
The resurrection is central to the Christian faith. If Jesus was not raised from the dead, then Christian beliefs don't amount to much, since Jesus himself said that he would be raised from the dead on the third day. On the other hand, if Jesus did rise from the dead, all his claims are true and we can know for sure that there is life after death.
A large volume of evidence exists to support the resurrection claims. In fact, there is more legal-historic evidence (the kind used in courtrooms) for the resurrection than there is for Napoleon's defeat at Waterloo. There are several reasons why those who have studied the resurrection are convinced beyond a doubt that it is true.
Jesus himself foretold his death and resurrection, and these events came about exactly as he had predicted.
John 2:19-21 "Jesus answered them, 'Destroy this temple, and I will raise it again in three days.' The Jews replied, 'It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and you are going to raise it in three days?' But the temple he had spoken of was his body."
John 10:17 "The reason my Father loves me is that I lay down my life--only to take it up again."
John 16:16-22 "In a little while you will see me no more, and then after a little while you will see me.' Some of his disciples said to one another, 'What does he mean by saying, 'In a little while you will see me no more, and then after a little while you will see me,' and 'Because I am going to the Father'?' They kept asking, 'What does he mean by 'a little while'? We don't understand what he is saying.' Jesus saw that they wanted to ask him about this, so he said to them, 'Are you asking one another what I meant when I said, 'In a little while you will see me no more, and then after a little while you will see me'? I tell you the truth, you will weep and mourn while the world rejoices. You will grieve, but your grief will turn to joy. A woman giving birth to a child has pain because her time has come; but when her baby is born she forgets the anguish because of her joy that a child is born into the world. So with you: Now is your time of grief, but I will see you again and you will rejoice, and no one will take away your joy..."
Matthew 12:40 "For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of a huge fish, so the Son of Man will be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth."
Matthew 16:21 "From that time on Jesus began to explain to his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things at the hands of the elders, chief priests and teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life."
Luke 18:31-33 "Jesus took the Twelve aside and told them, 'We are going up to Jerusalem, and everything that is written by the prophets about the Son of Man will be fulfilled. He will be handed over to the Gentiles. They will mock him, insult him, spit on him, flog him and kill him. On the third day he will rise again."
The event is well-documented by numerous reliable, historical sources.
Historians such as Josephus (c.37-110 AD), Ignatius (c.50-115 AD), Justin Martyr (c.100-165 AD) and Tertullian (c.160-220 AD) were convinced of the authenticity of the resurrection. Their writings validate the accounts of the Gospel writers, who, according to leading biblical scholarship, recorded the event as soon as 37 AD and no later than 64 AD.
In addition, other first and second century historians including Cornelius Tacitus, Suetonius, Plinius Secundus, and Lucian of Samosata acknowledged the impact this incredible event had on the people of the time.
The resurrection is the only plausible explanation for the empty grave.
Roman soldiers closely guarded the tomb where Jesus' body was laid. Moreover, the grave's entrance was sealed by an enormous boulder. The Roman guard, which was usually composed of 16 members, would have made it impossible for the disciples--who, by the way, were cowering in fear for their own lives--to steal the body. If, as some have claimed, Jesus was not dead, but only weakened, the guards and the stone would have stopped his escape. After being beaten and flagellated, hung on a cross for six hours, pierced by the spear of his executioners to ascertain his death, and wrapped, as was the custom, in 100 pounds of linen and spices, Jesus would have been in no shape to roll a two-ton stone uphill, outwit 16 Roman soldiers and then appear radiantly to his disciples.
The Jewish leaders of the day could easily have refuted all claims of the resurrection by simply producing a body, but they were unable to do so because there was no body.
There are numerous eyewitnesses to the resurrection.
After he rose from the dead, Jesus appeared at least ten times to those who had known him and to as many as 500 people at one time. These appearances were not hallucinations; Jesus ate and talked with his followers and they touched his resurrected body. Their experiences were not delusions.
Luke 24:36-39 "While they were still talking about this, Jesus himself stood among them and said to them, 'Peace be with you.' They were startled and frightened, thinking they saw a ghost. He said to them, 'Why are you troubled, and why do doubts rise in your minds? Look at my hands and my feet. It is I myself! Touch me and see; a ghost does not have flesh and bones, as you see I have.'"
John 20:26-29 "A week later his disciples were in the house again, and Thomas was with them. Though the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, 'Peace be with you!' Then he said to Thomas, 'Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe.' Thomas said to him, 'My Lord and my God!' Then Jesus told him, 'Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.'"
In 1 Corinthians 15:3-8, the Apostle Paul wrote, "For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Peter, and then to the Twelve. After that, he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers at the same time, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep. Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles, and last of all he appeared to me also, as to one abnormally born."
The resurrection is the only reasonable explanation for the beginning of the Christian movement.
The Christian church was born in the very city where Jesus was publicly killed and buried. The belief in a resurrected Jesus had to be authentic to take root in Jerusalem and grow to encompass the whole world. The Christian church is now the largest institution that exists or has ever existed in the history of humanity. Clearly, this would have been impossible if the resurrection was a fabricated story.
The resurrection is the only logical explanation for the transformed lives of the disciples.
They deserted and even denied Jesus before his public trial; after his death they were discouraged and fearful. They did not expect Jesus to rise from the dead. Yet, after his resurrection and their experience at Pentecost, these same discouraged, disappointed men and women were transformed by the mighty power of the risen Christ. In his name, they turned the world upside down. Many lost their lives for their faith; others were terribly persecuted. Their courageous behavior does not make sense apart from their conviction that Jesus Christ was truly raised from the dead--a fact worth dying for.
Throughout the centuries, most great scholars who have considered the proofs of the resurrection have believed, and still believe, that Jesus is alive.
After examining the evidence for the resurrection given by the Gospel writers, the late Simon Greenleaf, an authority on legal issues at Harvard Law School, concluded: "It was therefore impossible that they could have persisted in affirming the truths they have narrated, had not Jesus actually risen from the dead, and had they not known this fact as certainly as they knew any other fact." Mr. Greenleaf was a Jewish professor who became a believer in Jesus the Messiah after studying the facts for himself.
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How did the life of Jesus impact the world?
Nobody has changed the world the way Jesus has. Nobody.
Throughout history, the influence Jesus had on the lives of people has never been surpassed. No other great leader has inspired so many positive changes in the lives of his followers. People who encounter the risen Christ are totally transformed. Their outlook on life is altered forever. Staying true to their faith, they do not hesitate to face hardship, persecution and even death. Many consecrate their lives to serving others, minimizing their own needs and desires.
First Century Christians
Following Jesus' crucifixion, his disciples were devastated. They had forsaken him in the Garden of Gethsemane to save their own lives. But after they met the resurrected Christ, they were radically changed. Suddenly, they were willing to give their lives to tell Jesus' story to the world. Many were tortured and killed because they proclaimed Jesus was alive.
Skeptics and enemies were also transformed. Jesus' younger brother, James, didn't think Jesus was anybody special. But after his resurrected brother appeared to him, James not only believed Jesus was Lord but became the leader of the Jerusalem church and died a martyr in 62 AD.
Saul of Tarsus was the chief persecutor of early Christians. He dragged people to prison. When they did not recant their faith, he was a party to their execution. But he had a dramatic encounter with the risen Christ on his way to Damascus and he was transformed from Saul, the enemy of Christianity, to Paul, the main propagator of its message. He left his position of prestige in Jewish society, to become a traveling missionary who experienced incredible suffering in order to share the love of Christ throughout the Roman empire.
Roman governor Plinius Secundus wrote in his Epistles X96 that Christians were people who loved the truth at any cost. Although he was ordered to torture and execute them for refusing to curse Jesus, he was continually amazed and impressed with their firm commitments "not to do any wicked deeds, never to commit any fraud, theft, adultery, never to falsify their word, not to deny a trust when they should be called upon to deliver it up." For centuries, true Christians around the world have stood as shining examples of the standards of truth and love established by Jesus of Nazareth.
Historian Philip Schaff described the overwhelming influence which Jesus had on subsequent history and culture of the world. "This Jesus of Nazareth, without money and arms, conquered more millions than Alexander, Caesar, Mohammed, and Napoleon; without science...he shed more light on things human and divine than all philosophers and scholars combined; without the eloquence of schools, he spoke such words of life as were never spoken before or since, and produced effects which lie beyond the reach of orator or poet; without writing a single line, he set more pens in motion, and furnished themes for more sermons, orations, discussions, learned volumes, works of art, and songs of praise than the whole army of great men of ancient and modern times."
Modern Day Christianity
The power of Christ knows no boundary of time or space. In our own age, many skeptics have been convinced just as thoroughly their first-century counterparts. For example, Lew Wallace, a famous general and literary genius, was a known atheist. For two years, Wallace studied in the leading libraries of Europe and America, seeking information that would forever destroy Christianity. While writing the second chapter of a book outlining his arguments, he suddenly found himself on his knees crying out to Jesus, "My Lord and my God."
When confronted by solid indisputable evidence, he could no longer deny that Jesus Christ was the Son of God. Later, Lew Wallace wrote the book Ben Hur, one of the greatest English novels ever written concerning the time of Christ.
Similarly, the late C.S. Lewis, professor at Oxford University in England, was an agnostic who denied the deity of Christ for years. But he, too, in intellectual honesty, submitted to Jesus as his God and Savior after studying the overwhelming evidence for his deity. Over the years, he wrote many books to uphold the ideals of Christianity, including Mere Christianity and The Screwtape Letters.
Many other men and women in our century have dedicated their lives to spreading the Christian message, often braving torture and death. For example, one of Romania's most widely known Christian leader, Richard Wurmbrand, spent 14 years in prison and was repeatedly tortured for running the underground church under Communist rule. Even after international pressure secured his release from Romania, he continued to receive death threats from the Communist regime. But these attempts at intimidation did not silence him. He kept publicly spreading the good news of Christ.
Similarly, in Korea, Joon Gon Kim, a well-known Christian leader, witnessed his wife and father slaughtered before his eyes by Communist sympathizers from his own village. He himself was beaten senseless and left for dead. He survived the beating and asked God to give him love for the souls of his enemies. He eventually led 30 Communists to believe in Christ, including the person responsible for the death of his family members.
Not only does the love of Christ impel Christians to face persecution and death but also to work to make the world a better place. Mother Theresa was an outstanding example of a life poured in the service of Christ. Of her well-known ministry among the poor, she said: "Our work is only the expression of the love we have for God."
Like her, many others have given their lives to serve the destitute and the outcast, either in their homeland or abroad. William and Katherine Booth, founders of the Salvation Army, believed that ministering to the poor was like ministering to Christ himself. The movement they launched enlisted the tireless efforts of enthusiastic people who wanted to make a difference in the world around them. -
WOULD YOU LIKE TO KNOW JESUS PERSONALLY?
You can! Because of God's deep love for you, he has already made all the necessary arrangements. Through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, you can enjoy a personal relationship. Jesus made it possible to bridge the chasm which separates us from God. The following four principles will help you discover how to know Jesus personally and experience the abundant life he promised.
PRINCIPLE 1
God LOVES you and created you to know Him personally
John 3:16 "For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life."
John 17:3 "Now this is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent."
What prevents us from knowing God personally?
PRINCIPLE 2
Man is SINFUL and SEPARATED from God, so we cannot know Him personally or experience His love
Romans 3:23 "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God."
Romans 6:23 "The wages of sin is death" [spiritual separation from God].
Romans 8:6-8 "The mind of sinful man is death, but the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace; the sinful mind is hostile to God. It does not submit to God's law, nor can it do so. Those controlled by the sinful nature cannot please God."
A great gulf separates man from God. Man is continually trying to reach God and establish a personal relationship with Him through human efforts, such as living a good life, philosophy, or religion. But he inevitably fails.
The third principle explains the only way to bridge this gulf...
PRINCIPLE 3
Jesus Christ is God's ONLY provision for man's sin. Through him alone we can know God personally and experience God's love
Romans 5:8 "God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us."
1 Corinthians 15:3-6 "Christ died for our sins... he was buried... he was raised on the third day according to the scriptures... he appeared to Peter, then to the twelve. After that he appeared to more than five hundred..."
John 14:6 "Jesus said to him, 'I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.'"
God has bridged the gulf that separates us from Him by sending His Son, Jesus Christ, to die on the cross in our place to pay the penalty for our sins.
But it is not enough just to know these truths...
PRINCIPLE 4
We must individually RECEIVE Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior; then we can know God personally and experience His love
John 1:12 "As many as received him, to them he gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in his name."
Ephesians 2:8-9 "For it is by grace that you have been saved, through faith. This does not depend on anything you have achieved, it is the free gift of God; and because it is not earned no one can boast about it."
Receiving Christ involves turning to God from self (a spirit of repentance) and trusting Christ to come into our lives to forgive us of our sins and make us what he wants us to be. Just to agree intellectually that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and that he died on the cross for our sins is not enough. Nor is it enough to have an emotional experience. We receive Jesus Christ by faith, as an act of our will.
Jesus Christ is waiting for an invitation to come in to your life. In fact, he says, "Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in" (Revelation 3:20).
Perhaps you can sense Christ knocking at the door of your heart. You can invite him in by faith right now. God knows your heart so it doesn't matter exactly what words you use. Here's a suggested prayer:
Lord Jesus, I want to know you personally. Thank you for dying on the cross for my sins. I open the door of my life to you and ask you to come in as my Savior and Lord. Take control of my life. Thank you for forgiving my sins and giving me eternal life. Make me the kind of person you want me to be.
If this prayer expresses the desire of your heart, pray it right now and Jesus Christ will come into your life just as he has promised. Once you invite Christ into your life, he promises to never leave you.
Hebrews 13:5 "God has said, 'Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.'"
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if jesus was a lunatic, he would haf say that hes a lunatic. i mean who will want to tahan all the pain?
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Legend, Lunatic, Liar,or Lord and GOD?
Someone who hasnt seen the whole truth yet -
A lunatic doesn't know he is crazy.Originally posted by popmynutsy:if jesus was a lunatic, he would haf say that hes a lunatic. i mean who will want to tahan all the pain?
In fact, he thinks he is the sanest person on earth.
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Then that will make him a liar. examine his claims: he certainly THINKS he knows the whole truth!Originally posted by Cenarious:Someone who hasnt seen the whole truth yet -
ur not lying if u dont know ur not speaking the truthOriginally posted by SocialOutcast:Then that will make him a liar. examine his claims: he certainly THINKS he knows the whole truth! -
Then he is a lunatic to claim he is the Son of God.Originally posted by Cenarious:ur not lying if u dont know ur not speaking the truth -
u may not know the right thing but that doesnt make u crazyOriginally posted by SocialOutcast:Then he is a lunatic to claim he is the Son of God. -
but he claimed to be the Son of God. That is a crazy claim.Originally posted by Cenarious:u may not know the right thing but that doesnt make u crazy
If I say I am the President of USA right now (and firmly believes I am), you have every right to say I'm crazy. -
I hope you are not just trying to avoid the proposition
'Jesus is Lord'
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well if everyone around u staged everything from the moment u r born to look like you really are the president of USA then you are not really crazyOriginally posted by SocialOutcast:but he claimed to be the Son of God. That is a crazy claim.
If I say I am the President of USA right now (and firmly believes I am), you have every right to say I'm crazy. -
I think you like conspiracy theories a lotOriginally posted by Cenarious:well if everyone around u staged everything from the moment u r born to look like you really are the president of USA then you are not really crazy
And also, you believe the world is full of idiots who cannot prevent that from happening. -
prevent what from happening? nobody knows what goes on in your house so the people in your house can do whatever they want with you. and u nvr stepped foot outside the house.Originally posted by SocialOutcast:I think you like conspiracy theories a lot
And also, you believe the world is full of idiots who cannot prevent that from happening. -
And if the job of the President of USA is to incur the wrath of his citizens and to die....
still I think that President is a lunatic. -
NT2:
You got that from Campus Crusade didn't you? It all looks to familiar...
We Catholics would add one more miracle to the list; Christ giving His Flesh and Blood to the Apostles at the Last Supper. -
\Originally posted by Cenarious:prevent what from happening? nobody knows what goes on in your house so the people in your house can do whatever they want with you. and u nvr stepped foot outside the house.
Ok, we are in conspiracy theory proper.
So, do you think the President played a hand in this? Or was it simply the citizens' idea? -
doesnt matter. all that matters is that everything around u made it seem like u really are the president. ur not a lunatic.Originally posted by SocialOutcast:\
Ok, we are in conspiracy theory proper.
So, do you think the President played a hand in this? Or was it simply the citizens' idea? -
No, it matters really.Originally posted by Cenarious:doesnt matter. all that matters is that everything around u made it seem like u really are the president. ur not a lunatic.
Because if the president played a hand in this, then he is a liar, and no good president at all.
And it is not just 'everything around' that makes the president the president. The President himself says he is the president! So if he is not....then he is a lunatic!! -
you are confusing the real president with the kid president. lets say everyone around u made things look like you are the president. u r not bush and u think u r the president because everything around u made it seem so.Originally posted by SocialOutcast:No, it matters really.
Because if the president played a hand in this, then he is a liar, and no good president at all.
And it is not just 'everything around' that makes the president the president. The President himself says he is the president! So if he is not....then he is a lunatic!!